Engine-starting apparatus



J. BUUR.

'ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS= APPLICATION FILED MAY 5.191s.

Patented June 8, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

z I mm/r01? 7 mom/Ers- J. BHUR.

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. 1913.

1,343,028, Patented June 8, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES [NI/EH70 16 T aUa, 4% g ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BIJ'UR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO BIJ'UR MOTOR APPLIANCE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ENGINE-STARTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Application filed May 5, 1913. Serial No. 765,423.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BIJUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starting Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to engine starting apparatus, and with regard to certain more specific features, to electrical means for starting internal combustion engines.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide practical and easil operated means for starting an engine. Another object is to provide apparatus of the character set forth in which the motor used for rotating the engine shaft is effectively thrown into driving engagement with said shaft and positively disengaged from said shaft at the proper time. Another object is to provide 2 means of the above type which shall be convenient in control and whose action is to a certain extent automatic. Another object is to provide engine starting apparatus in which the engagement between the driving and driven elements, such as gears, during the starting operationis effected with certainty and without appreciable strain or binding between the cooperating surfaces. Another object is to provide a simple and durable starting apparatus of few parts, inexpensive to manufacture, easily assembled and efficient in action. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a preferred form of starting apparatus;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate a typical sequence of electrical connections;

Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

By way of explanation, it may be stated at this point that there has long been need of practical starting apparatus adapted to set in rotation a motor incapable of starting itself, such as an internal combustion engine mounted on an automobile. Such a device, to be practical, should be capable of performing its cycle of operations a considerable number of times without draining the source of energy used for effecting this operation, and should, be not only durable enough to withstand the severe shocks of a mechanical nature to which it is subjected, but it should be at least partly automatic in action and readily applicable, at a minimum installation expense, to apparatus al ready in use.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, in which is shown a preferred embodiment for starting such an engine, there is illustrated at 1 an element, such as a fly-wheel, mounted in driving engagement with the shaft of the engine, and at 2 a motor which, at predetermined times, may be used to set in rotation the fly-wheel 1 of the engine through the medium of the pinion 3 keyed upon the motor shaft 4 and the gear 5 mounted, in the present instance, directly on the fiy-wheel 1. The motor, as illustrated clearly in Figs. 1 and 8, comprises a suitable casing providing bearings for the shaft 4, on which is secured the armature 6, commutator7 and pinion 3, said shaft being mounted for reciprocation in a direction parallel to its axis of rotation and being urged toward the right-hand limit of its travel, indicated in solid lines in Figs. 1 and 8, by means such as the coil spring 8. With the shaft in this position, the pinion 3 is disengaged from the gear 5 and the iron of the armature is removed some distance from the path of maximum flux flowing between the poles of the field coils 9 when the latter are energized. It will be obvious that with th s arran ement, when sufficient current is cause to pass through said field coils 9, the

electromagnetic attraction between the field and armature of the motor will cause the armature to move rectilinearly to the left in opposition to the sprin 8 and will thereby effeet the engagement 0 the gear 5 and pinion 3, provided these two latter elements are in such relative angular position that their respective teeth will mesh. If now the motor be furnished with current suificient to set it in rotation, the fiy-wheel 1 of the engine will be rotated and under normal conditions the engine will at once start under its own power; then the decreased current through the windings of the motor due to the greatly increased speed of its armature causes the coil spring 8 to over-power the electromag netic attraction between field and armature, with the result that the armature, commutator, shaft and pinion return as a unit to their solid-line position indicated in Figs. 1 and 8 with the pinion disengaged from the gear. The armature will then come to a stop as soon as its connection with the source of ower is broken.

oming now to the mechanism used for supplying the necessary amount of current to the motor windings at the proper times and to the features of invention relating more specifically to the resent application, there are illustrated in Figs. 2, '3 and 4 diagra'fiis showing a preferred sequence of connections between the several parts of the apparatus. Assuming the engine stationary and the throttle and spark of the engine properly adjusted, the hand or foot-controlled rod 10, hereinafter termed, for convenience, the pedal, is depressed in opposition to the force exerted by the spring 11,

thereby causing the counter-clockwise rotation of the bell-crank lever 12 and rotating clockwise from its position of rest indicated in Fig. 1, the lower switch arm 13 from the third contact 14: to the fourth contact 15, this action taking place without causing movement of the upper switch arm 16, owing to the pin-and-slot connection at 17 between these two arms. When the lower arm 13 has reached the fourth contact 15 a circuit is completed comprising the battery 18, sixth contact 19, first resistance 20, second resistance 21, fourth contact 15, lower arm 13, conductor 22, armature 6, and series field 9, this circuit being illustrated apart from the remaining apparatus in Fig. 2. The resistances 20, 21 are of sufiicient magnitude to keep the electromagnetic attraction between the field and armature-below the value necessary for effecting the movement toward the left of said armature and the pinion 3 driven thereby, so that the motor 2 rotates idly at an increasing speed until the lower arm 13 passes downward from the fourth contact 15 to the fifth contact 23 of the accelerating switch. This lower arm, however, rests on the fourth contact 15 for an appreciable interval of time because of the mechanical retarding device'provided at 24 to interpose a mechanical resistance to the downward move ment of the pedal 10 when the latter has caused the lower arm 13 to reach the fourth contact 15. This retarding device, which may take a variety of forms, is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 8 as comprising a recess or depression 25 in the pedal 10 adapted, when the pedal is sufliciently depressed to cooperate with a ball 26 urged inward against said pedal by a coil spring 27, the outward movement of which is prevented by the retaining bolt 28. The retarding device is provided in order that the lower arm 13 may rest on the fourth contact 15 long enough to allow the motor to get up to speed, after which time the further downward movement of the pedal, by causing a clockwise rotation of the lower arm 13 from the fourth contact 15 to the fifth contact 23, causes the circuit conditions to be changed to those indicated in Fig. 3; the movement of the lower arm 13 has cut out of circuit the second resistance 21 and the downward movement of theupper arm 16 from the first contact 29 to the second contact 30, caused by the pin-and-slot connection at 17 between the two arms, completes a circuit comprising the armature 6, conductor 31, second contact 30, upper switch arm 16 and conductor 22, giving, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3, a short-circuited armature as well as a more strongly energized field. This produces two results: first, the motor is decelerated rapidly, owing to the dynamic current flowing through the short-circuited armature; and second, the attraction between field andarmature now overpowers the coil spring 8 and the pinion 3 is moved toward the gear 5. As the pinion is in rotation, it quickly and positively meshes with the gear 5 and the lack of any driving torque acting on said pinion causes it to come to a stop as soon as meshing has occurred, without any-appreciable strain or friction on the teeth of pinion or gear. If the longitudinal movement of the pinion toward the gear took place while the pinion was not rotat'ing, it might readily happen that the teeth of pinion and gear would not be in proper relative position to mesh and; it would be necessary to spin the armature, allow it to come to rest, and set it again in rotation in the hope that the relative position of teeth would be more favorable; and this operation might be repeated a number of times before engagement could be effected. In the present invention, however, the pinion is rotating while it is moving toward the gear and the almost instantaneous meshing of gear and pinion is assured.

Now that the motor is in driving engageis effected in'the embodiment illustrated in- Fig. 1 by the continued clockwise rotation of the lower and upper arms 13, 16. The lower arm, in passing from the fifth contact 23 to the sixth contact 19, connects the conductor 32 leading from the battery directly to the conductor .22 leading to the armature about the same time the movement of the upper arm 16 downward from the second contact 30 to the third contact 14 removes the short circuit around said armature, giving, as indicated in Fig. 4, a maximum energization of field and armature directly from the battery. In this manner the maximum torque of the motor is exerted at the teeth of the fiy-wheel gear 5 and the engine is compelled to rotate. Ordinarily, the engine will now run under its own power and the decreased current through the motor causes, as above indicated, the disengagement of the gear 5 and pinion 3. Then, as soon as pressure is released from the pedal 10 the latter rises, the spring 33 rotates the lower switch arm counter-clockwise to its former position of rest indicated in Fig. 1, and this rotation of the lower arm causes, through the pin-and-slot connection at 17 the upward movement of the upper arm 16 until the latter has reached the first contact 29. During this counter-clockwise movement of the switch arms 13 and 16 the slot at 17 and the elongated third contact 14 are so proportioned with respect to the several parts of the switch that the upper arm 16 does not pass from the third contact 14 to the second contact 30, thereby short-circuiting the armature, until the lower arm 13 has reached, in its upward travel, the fourth contact 15. By this arrangement the important advantage is gained of preventing the reengagement of gear and pinion which would occur if the sequence of electrical connections during the downward movement of the switch arms were repeated during their return movement. Suitable stops (not shown) are provided to limit the movement in either direction of the several switch arms, in the embodiment above described, as well as in the modifications illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8.

In order to prevent the engagement of the pinion 3 and gear 5 while the engine is running, an interlocking mechanism is provided comprising, in the present instance, a voltage coil 34 across the terminals of the gen er'ator 35 driven by the engine, this coil when energized attracting in opposition to the spring 36 the armatures 3 38, secured respectively to the two halves 39, 40 of a split collar, thereby bringing the .two hinged members of this collar into the annular groove 41 of the pedal 10, the groove and collar registering when the pedal is in its normal position of rest indicated in Fig. 1. It will be obvious without further elaboration that as long as the voltage coil 34 is energized, it is impossible to depress the pedal 10, so that energy cannot be supplied to the motor 2 until the engine has come to rest.

The accelerating switch illustrated in Fig. 1 may be modified, as indicated in Fig. 7, wherein the pedal 10, the spring 11 opposing the downward movement of the pedal, the

mechanical retarding device 24, and the connections between the armature, field, battery and accelerating switch are all as in Fig. 1, the movement of the switch arms being changed, however, from one of rotation to one of rectilinear reciprocation. In the modification illustrated in Fig. 7, the lower arm 42 is secured to and insulated from the pedal 10 and travels from its extreme upper position of rest against the third contact 14 to the lower end of its travel, Where it connects the bar 43 with the sixth contact 19. The first and second resistances 20, 21, as before, are connected respectively with the sixth and fifth contacts 19, 23, and the fifth and fourth contacts 23, 15. The upper arm 44 has a lost-motion connection with the pedal, such as the sliding fit at 45, between the upper arm 44 and the pedal 10, together with the upper and lower pins or collars 46, 47, secured to the pedal. The cycle of operations is similar to that described in connection with Fig. 1 and need not be repeated in detail.

In Fig. 8 is illustrated a modified system of control, wherein certain of the operations are effected automatically instead of manually, as in Figs. 1 and 7. The sequence of electrical connections illustrated inFigs. 2, 3 and 4 applies as well to the present modification, and the mechanical retarding device at 24 is again utilized to insure a momentary dwell durin she downward movement of the pedal after the initial connection has been made at the contacts 48, 49, 50, and before the second resistance 21 is short-circuited at the contacts 51, 52, 53. The interlocking coil 34, moreover, is used as in Fig. 1 to prevent the downward movement of the pedal from its extreme upper position whenever the engine is in motion. When the contact 49 secured to the pedals engages the relatively fixed contacts 48, 50, a circuit is completed, comprising the bat tery 18, contacts 48, 49, 50, second resistance 21, first resistance 20, conductor 54, armature 6, series field 9 and conductor 55. The motor is at once set in rotation and the absence, of any load causes its speed to increase rapidly but the resistances 20, 21 are so designed that the current through the windings is insufficient to move the armature and pinion into driving engagement with the gear 5 on the fly-wheel. The cont-inued downward movement of, the pedal 10 then short-circuits at the contacts 51, 52, 52-3, the second resistance 21 and the armature moves toward the left, but before the pinion 3 has engaged the gear 5, the switch arm 56 held against the left-hand floating end of the armature shaft 4 by the springs 57 short-circuits at the bars 58, 59 the armature, and the dynamic current flowing through this short circuit quickly decelerates the armature; and before the leftward movement of the armature shaft has caused the engagement of pinion and gear, the armature speed has been brought down to a. small value, and as the teeth of the pinion and gear come in contact, the slow rotation of the armature, together with the absence of any driving torque therefor, insures the almost instantaneous meshing of the teeth without any appreciable mechanical or electrical strains. The continued leftward movement of the armature effects no changes in the circuit conditions until, as the shaft 4 approaches the end of its rectilinear travel, the switch arm 56 breaks the armature short circuit across the bars 58, 59 and simultaneously short-circuits the first resistance 20, giving, as indicated in Fig. 4, a direct connection between the battery and the motor windings. The torque developed by the armature is now sufficient to start the gear 5, and as soon as the engine is rotating under its own power the armature returns automatically to its righthand position indiated in solid lines in Fig. 8, with the pinion out of engagement with the gear. The switch arm 56, how ever, does not return at once with the armature shaft 4 but is held at its full speed position by the voltage coil 60 connected directly across the armature terminals of the motor. Then as soon as pressure is released from the pedal 10 the latter rises, and as the motor comes to rest the switch arm 56 is automatically returned to its position indiated in solid lines in Fig. 8. The function of the holding magnet 60 is to prevent the short-circuiting of the armature, which might occur before disengagement if the retractile springs 57 were allowed to pull the switch arm 56 toward the right as soon as the armature shaft began its rectilinear movement in that direction. The holding magnet performs the additional function, analogous to that of the gathering-arm arrangement in Fig. 1, of preventing the sequence of connections, illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4., from being repeated in inverse order after the starting of the engine has been effected. In this way there can be no second leftward movement of the armature during any given starting operation.

In the several figures where the generator 35 is illustrated, an automatic switch is shown, more or less conventionally, as comprising a current coil 61 and a voltage coil 62 wound so as to assist the current coil 61 in maintaining a closed circuit at the contacts 63, the switch being opened by reverse current through the current coil and closed whenever the voltage coil is sufficiently energized. The generator is illustrated for convenience as a shunt-wound machine Without a voltage or current reg ulator, it being understood, of course, that a suitable regulator is, in practice, provided and that the present invention is applicable to any suitable type of and automatic switch.

Briefly stated, the operation of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 is as follows: hen the engine is to be started, the pedal 10 is depressed, thereby connecting the battery 18 with the motor 2 through the first and second resistances 20, 21, as shown in Fig. 2. This connection is completed as the depression 25 in the pedal reaches the spring-pressed ball 26 of the mechanical retarding device 24, and the increased mechanical resistance thereby offered to the movement of the pedal insures a momentary dwell to allow the motor to attain a considerable speed. The current in the motor is not suflicient to cause the engagement of the gear and pinion. Then the continued downward movement of the pedal cuts out of circuit the second resistance 21 and simultaneously short-circuits the armature, as indicated in Fig. 3, with the result that the armature is rapidly decelerated as it moves toward the left (in Fig. 1) and engagement between the pinion and gear, without mechanical or electrical strains, is insured. About the time engagement has been effected the pedal has been depressed sulficiently to break the short circuit around the armature and to connect the motor windings directly across the battery, this furnishing sufficient torque to start the engine. As soon as the engine has been started, the decreased current in the motor windings allows the coil spring 8to effect the disengagement of gear and pinion automatically, and then when the pressure upon the pedal is released the motor comes to rest. The electro-magnetic interlock at 34 prevents the depression of the pedal unless the engine is actually at rest. In Fig. 7 the accelerating switch comprises switch arms movable longitudinally instead of in a circular path. In Fig. 8 the initial circuit comprising the battery, first and second resistances, as well as the removal of the second resistance from the circuit, is completed manually, as before, but the short-circuiting of the armature and the breaking of this short circuit and the removal of the first resistance from the mo tor circuit is effected automatically by the longitudinal movement of the armature generator, regulator shaft, a holding magnet being provided to prevent the short-circuiting of the armature during disengagement before the cooperating teeth of pinion and gear are actually out of mesh and to prevent reengagement, as above indicated.

It will thus be seen that there is provided apparatus in which the objects enumerated are achieved and other advantageous ends attained.

In the above description certain expressions, such as left, right, upper and lower, have been used to designate simply the relative locations of coiiperating parts, and it will be obvious that these words are neither used in an absolute sense norintended in any way to restrict the arrangement to the specific expressions em: ployed. As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Engine starting apparatus, comprising in combination, a motor, means manually set into action for successively spinning said motor decelerating the same and engaging it with an engine, accelerating the motor to start the engine, and then disengaging the motor from the engine, and permitting the motor to come to rest.

,2. En ine starting apparatus, comprising, in combination, a motor, means for successively accelerating said motor, decelerating the same, engaging the same with an engine, accelerating the motor to start the engine, and then disengaging the motor from the engine, said means performing some of said functions in response to manual actuation, and the remainder irrespective of manual action.

3; Engine starting apparatus, comprising in combination, a motor, means manually set into action for causing acceleration of said motor, and means set into operation by the action of said motor for successively decelerating the same, engaging the same with an engine, accelerating said motor to start said engine, then disengaging said motor from the engine, and decelerating said motor. 1

4. The method of starting an engine, comprising supplying current to a motor to spin the same an appreciable interval of time thereafter decelerating said motor by braking it, en aging said motor with said engine during t e braking operation, supplying current to said motor to enable it to start said engine, and disengaging said motor from said engine when said engine begins to rotate under its own power.

5. The method of starting an engine, comprising supplying current to a motor to spin the same, an appreciable interval of time thereafter decelerating said motor by braking it dynamically, engaging said motor with said engine during the braking operation, supplying current to said motor to enable it to start said engine, disengaging said motor from said engine when said engine begins to rotate under its own power, and permitting the motor to come to rest.

6. The method of starting an engine, comprising supplying current to a motor to spin the. same, an appreciable interval of time thereafter decelerating said motor by braking it dynamically, engaging said motor :with said engine during the braking operation, supplying current to said motor to enable it to start said engine, disengaging said motor from said engine when said engine begins-to rotate under its own power, bringing said motor to rest, and preventing the further supply of current to said motor during the running of said engine.

7. Engine starting apparatus, comprising in combination, a motor, means to cause rotation of the same, means to cause acceleration of the same an appreciable interval of time thereafter, and means set into action after said operation of said latter means, to effect successively, the deceleration 'of said motor, its engagement with an engine, the acceleration of said motor to start said engine, and the disengagement of said motor from said engine when the latter has begun to rotate under its own power;

8. Engine starting apparatus, comprising, in combination, a motor, means manually set into action for effecting rotation of the same, and acceleration an appreciable interval of time thereafter, and means operating irrespective of said manual means for successively decelerating said motor, engaging it with an engine, accelerating it to start said engine, disengaging said motor from said engine when thelatter has begun to rotate under its ownpower, and locking said apparatus to prevent its operation while said engine is running.

9. Engine starting apparatus comprising,

in combination, a motor, means for successively accelerating said motor, decelerating the same, and engaging it with an engine, and reaccelerating the motor to start said engine, and disen aging the motor from the engine after the atter starts operation under its own power, and means preventing reengagementwhile the engine is running.

10. Apparatus of the character described, comprising, in combination, an engine, a member'drive'n. thereby; a source of power,

a member operated by said source of power and adapted to make power transmittlng connection with said driven member, and means adapted to rotate said second member, to decelerate the same and simultaneously move it into operative relation to said first member, to accelerate said second member to drive said first member, and upon the starting of said engine to move said second member automatically out of operative relation to said first member.

11. Apparatus of the character described, comprising, in combination, an engine, a member driven thereby, a source of power, a member operated by said source of power and adapted to make power transmitting connection with said driven member, means adapted to rotate said second member, to decelerate the same and simultaneously move it into operative relation to said first member, to accelerate said second member to drive said first member, and upon the start ing of said engine to move said second member automatically out of operative relation to said first member, a magnetically actuated lock, and means adapted to render said lock operative by the running of said engine.

12. Apparatus of the character described, comprising, in combination, an engine, a member driven thereby, a source of power, a member operated by said source of power and adapted to make power transmitting connection with said driven member, means adapted to rotate said second member, to decelerate the same and simultaneously move it into operative relation to said first member, to accelerate said second member to drive said first member, and upon the starting of said engine to move said second member automatically out of operative relation to said first member, and means adapted to render inoperative said source of power, when said engine is rotating under its own power.

13. Apparatus of the character described, comprising in combination, an engine, a member driven thereby, a source of power, a member operated by said source of power and adapted to make power transmitting connection with said driven member, means adapted to rotate said second member, to decelerate the same and simultaneously move it into operative relation to said first member, to accelerate said second member to drive said first member, and upon the starting of said engine to move said second member automatically out of operative relation to said first member, a magnetically actuated lock, and means adapted to render said lock operative by the running of said en ine.

14. Apparatus of the character descrlbed, comprising, in combination, an engine, a gear driven thereby, a motor, a pinion driven thereby, means for accelerating said motor, thereafter decelerating the same,

throwing into mesh said pinion and gear, and accelerating said motor to start said engine, and means for unmeshing said pinion and gear in response to the starting of the engine.

15. Apparatus of the character described, comprising, in combination, an engine, a

motor, a gear driven by said engine, a pinion driven by said motor, means adapted to spin the motor and then brake it, to cause the meshing of the gear and pinion during the braking operation, and to accelerate said motor to start said engine, and means governed by the motor current adapted to unmotor.

17. Apparatus of the character described, comprising, in combination, a motor comprising a relatively reciprocable field and armature, means for accelerating said motor, and means whereby the relative approaching rectilinear movement of said field and armature effects the deceleration and macceleration of said motor.

18. Apparatus of the character described, comprising, in combination, a motor comprising a field and a reciprocable rotatable armature, means normally forcing said armature away from said field, means for accelerating said motor and thereby moving said armature toward said field, and means whereby said movement effects the deceleration and re-acceleration of said motor.

19. Apparatus of the character described, comprising, in combination, an engine, a motor comprising a field and a rotatable reciprocable armature, means influenced by the rectilinear movement of-said armature in one direction for making a driving connection between said motor and engine, means influenced by said motion in said direction adapted to brake and then accelerate said motor, and means adapted to hold said second means in its final position until current is cut ofl' from said motor.

20. Apparatus of the character described, comprising, in combination, an engine, a gear driven thereby, a motor comprising a field and a rotatable reciprocable armature,

a pinion secured to said armature and adapted to mesh with said gear when sufiicient current is flowing through said field, means for accelerating said motor, and means for spinning said motor without efi'ecting engagement, for braking said motor and simultaneously effecting engagement, for accelerating said motor to start said engine, the

reduced current in the motor after said engine has started effecting the disengagement of said gear and pinion.

21. Apparatus of the character described, comprising, in combination, a motor, an engine, and means for starting said engine from said motor, said means comprising pivoted switch arms adapted successively to accelerate, decelerate and re-accelerate said motor.

22. Apparatus of the character described, comprising, in combination, a motor, an engine, and means for starting said engine from said motor, said means comprising reciprocable switch arms adapted successively 15 to accelerate, brake and re-accelerate said motor.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

J OSEPH BIJUR.

Witnesses:

R. W. FRANCE, DELOS G. HAYNES. 

